Aerospace parts are 60 percent of Meggitt Fluid Controls’ business, but it is now moving into selling parts system packages.

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When Ken Guss joined Meggitt Fluid Controls as president and general manager two years ago, the company maintained little, if any, collaboration between its five subsidiaries. His task was to change that, and create a synergy among the companies – Whittaker Controls Inc. of North Hollywood, Calif., where Guss is based; Meggitt AirDynamics of Corona, Calif.; Avery-Hardoll of Blanford, England; Dunlop Equipment of Coventry, England; and Serck Aviation of Birmingham, England.

“Each company had a separate strategy, but we formed a focused business unit,” Guss explains. “I run the five companies, but each has a separate general manager. Four of the companies make fluid control products for engines in extreme environments, so the question was, ‘How do we bundle these products together as a group and develop system capabilities?’

“We’ve moved more toward a subsystem- and system-approach to business,” he adds. “This is how the aerospace industry is moving – clients want to deal with one company that provides a system, instead of individual parts.”

Although each business continues to sell individual parts – which accounts for 60 percent of its sales in the United States – the new system is beginning to take off. Meggitt Fluid Controls recently won its first big contract with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, Guss says. Meggitt will provide the bleed air system for the company’s newest mid-level jet.

“It’s a package of nine valves with a controller,” he explains. “The controller is the brains that together with the valves form a system. Before, we weren’t able to approach business this way.”

Accelerated Collaboration
As part of its collaboration process that began two years ago, Meggitt Fluid Controls formed an engineering council with representatives from each of the five companies, and they now meet via conference call every week to review targeted objectives, lay out best practice plans and develop new products. This has accelerated the collaboration process, Guss says.

“We don’t always have a program where all five companies are working together,” he notes. “It might be three working together at a time. But the collaboration is enabling us to move up the food chain and gain a higher position. All of the engineering teams now speak the same language.”

The collaboration extends beyond the engineering group, as well. Meggitt Fluid Controls has established a vice president of group marketing who is responsible for tying together the sales and marketing strategies. The company has also increased its ability to service customers throughout the entire process – from design to aftermarket.

Meggitt Fluid Controls is focused on developing teamwork throughout its five companies and 700 employees. “We have an open, honest atmosphere,” Guss says. “We want people to have fun and enjoy what they’re doing. We also focus on leadership and developing our employees. We’re easy to work with, and our products are known for reliability – our reputation is one of the best in the industry. People can count on us.”

It serves customers worldwide, with products on “just about every aircraft there is,” he adds. The company’s future growth strategy includes moving into the industrial energy market. “A lot of our products are just as effective in ground-based turbines, etc.,” Guss says. “We’re developing applications for that. We already have some business there, but we’re focused on growing that like we have for aerospace.”

‘Talent and Resources’
Meggitt Fluid Controls is an operating unit of Meggitt PLC, a $2 billion, U.K.-based provider of aerospace equipment and defense, sensor and braking systems. It employs 8,000 people worldwide.

“Our consistent record of strong financial performance comes from businesses balanced across market segments; innovative products that generate stable, long-term aftermarket income; organic growth reinforced by acquisitions; and investment in people, facilities, operations and strategic technology development,” the company states.

“Our companies have access to an evolving group infrastructure that enables them to work together, combining talent and resources to benefit customers and operations.”